Bob Woodward facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Bob Woodward
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Woodward in 2023
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| Born |
Robert Upshur Woodward
March 26, 1943 Geneva, Illinois, U.S.
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| Education | Yale University (BA) |
| Occupation | Journalist |
| Known for | Reporting on the Watergate scandal |
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Notable credit(s)
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The Washington Post |
| Spouse(s) |
Kathleen Middlekauff
(m. 1966; div. 1969)Frances Kuper
(m. 1974; div. 1979)Elsa Walsh
(m. 1989) |
| Children | 2 |
| Parent(s) |
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| Military career | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Service/ |
 United States Navy |
| Years of service | 1965–1970 |
| Rank |  Lieutenant |
| Unit | USS Wright (CVL-49) USS Fox (CG-33) |
Robert Upshur Woodward (born March 26, 1943) is a famous American investigative journalist. He is best known for his reporting on the Watergate scandal for The Washington Post in the 1970s. His work helped uncover important details about the scandal.
Woodward started working at The Washington Post in 1971. He has written many books about American politics and current events. Many of his books have become bestsellers.
Contents
Robert Woodward was born in Geneva, Illinois, in 1943. His father was a lawyer and later a judge. Woodward grew up in Wheaton, Illinois.
After high school, he went to Yale College. He studied history and English literature. He graduated from Yale in 1965.
After college, Woodward joined the United States Navy. He served for five years. He was a communications officer on ships like the USS Wright and the USS Fox.
Journalism Career
After leaving the Navy in 1970, Woodward decided to become a journalist. He applied to The Washington Post. At first, he was not hired because he lacked experience.
After working for a smaller newspaper for a year, he joined The Washington Post in 1971. This is where he would become famous for his reporting.
What Was the Watergate Scandal?
In 1972, Woodward and fellow reporter Carl Bernstein were assigned to a story. It was about a break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters. This office was in a building called Watergate in Washington, D.C.
Their reporting, guided by editor Ben Bradlee, uncovered many political "dirty tricks." These tricks were used by the committee trying to re-elect President Richard Nixon. Their work led to many government investigations. It eventually led to President Nixon resigning from office.
Woodward and Bernstein wrote a book about the scandal called All the President's Men. It became a huge bestseller. Later, it was made into a movie in 1976. The movie starred Robert Redford as Woodward and Dustin Hoffman as Bernstein. This film made the reporters famous. It also inspired many people to become investigative journalists.
They wrote a second book about Watergate called The Final Days. This book covered the time leading up to President Nixon's resignation.
Reporting on the Bush Administration
Woodward spent a lot of time interviewing former President George W. Bush. He interviewed him six times for a total of nearly 11 hours. Woodward wrote four books about the Bush presidency.
These books covered important events. They included the response to the September 11 attacks. They also covered the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Before the Iraq War, Woodward believed claims about weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. He later admitted he was wrong. He said he should have been more doubtful about the evidence.
Other Work and Books
Woodward continued to write books and report stories for The Washington Post. He focuses on the presidency and government. He has written 21 nonfiction books. All of them have been national bestsellers. Fourteen of them have been No. 1 bestsellers. This is more than any other modern author.
He also teaches an online class about investigative journalism.
Awards and Recognition
Woodward has helped The Washington Post win two Pulitzer Prizes. The Pulitzer Prize is a very important award for journalism.
First, he and Carl Bernstein were the main reporters for the Watergate coverage. The Post won the Pulitzer Prize for Public Service in 1973 for this work.
Second, he was a key reporter for The Post's coverage of the September 11 attacks in 2001. The Post won the 2002 Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting for these stories.
Woodward has also received many other major journalism awards himself. These include the George Polk Award and the Gerald R. Ford Prize. In 2012, he received the Elijah Parish Lovejoy Award for brave journalism.
Many famous journalists and leaders have praised Woodward. Ben Bradlee, his former editor, called him "surely the best of his generation at investigative reporting." Robert Gates, a former CIA director, said Woodward has an amazing ability to get people to share information.
Personal Life
Bob Woodward has been married three times. His current wife is Elsa Walsh, who is also a writer. They married in 1989.
He has two children. His oldest daughter, Tali, is also a journalist.
Television Work
Woodward has also worked on television projects. He helped write a TV film in 1986 called Under Siege. It was about terrorist attacks in the United States.
He also helped write a TV miniseries in 1989 called The Nightmare Years. This show was about an American journalist in Germany before World War II.
Images for kids
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Woodward in 2023
See also
In Spanish: Bob Woodward para niños
